ORLANDO, Fla., July 16 (UPI) — Justice Department investigators will review the practices used by the Orlando Police Department in response the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub on June 12, authorities said.
The comprehensive after-action assessment to be conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will look to assess the preparation and response to the mass shooting, strategies and tactics used during the incident, as well as the department’s management of the aftermath.
Police shot and killed gunman Omar Mateen after he opened fire on the nightclub, killing 49 people. Following the shooting, Orlando Police Chief John Mina announced the officers involved in the shootout would be temporarily relieved of their duty and investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Mina requested the review by the DOJ’s Critical Response Technical Assistance program, which was also used following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California and the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
“I commend Orlando Police Chief John Mina for his leadership in asking for this assessment,” COPS Office Director Ronald Davis said. “The lessons learned from this independent, objective and critical review of such a high-profile incident will benefit not only the Orlando Police Department and its community; it will also serve to provide all law enforcement critical guidance and recommendations for responding to future such incidents.”
